PERSONALITIES
MEET
MR . FUN
By JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Arash Azarbarzin is serious about something so simple behind the hotel industry ’ s magic formula for success : If he is not having fun , then the rest of his team can ’ t effectively do their jobs .
“ One of the things that differentiate us is we have a culture of having fun ,” says the president and COO of Los Angeles-based Proper Hospitality , which just launched its first hotel in San Francisco and has three more coming . “ If you ’ re not having fun as an employee , as a manager , as a director , as an owner , as a partner , then your guests are not going to have fun . And if your work environment is too stuffy , too scripted and has too much pressure to be able to smile genuinely and welcome the guests genuinely , then everything else around you will be a failure .”
So the day-to-day leader of this modern-day luxury brand , who says job one is improving the company ’ s foundation , makew life simple for Proper associates . He keeps processes and procedures common-sense and easy to digest so they can be themselves and have fun interacting with guests , which makes it easier to “ read ” guests and better tailor service .
With a resume that includes Four Seasons during its go-go ‘ 90s , the Luxury Collection , Westin , St . Regis , opening the first W hotel in New York and helping grow that brand , then joining SBE to help launch the SLS and Redbury brands ,
THE PROPER HOSPITALITY PRESIDENT AND COO KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A TEAM COMFORTABLE ENGAGING GUESTS .
18 hotelsmag . com October 2017